It was a hot and sunny afternoon - this sounds like an essay opening for a composition in primary school but nothing else describes the weather better when i walked out the exit of Bugis (downtown line) MRT station!
It didn't help that i would be having Thai cuisine which can be spicy and would likely result in me sweating buckets even in an air-conditioned environment. Whatever the case, Ah Loy Thai was suggested by Joyce, the birthday girl, and I shall not make any further complaint.
From outside, it looked like a meal at the restaurant (previously housed at Shaw Towers) would not come cheap although the situation indoor was a bit of a confusion; on one hand, there were the hanging chandeliers with portraits of a Thai king, Thai paintings and on the other hand, placed on the tiled floor were kopitiam standard furniture like wooden tables and chairs (without backrest).
The menu didn't include the price for each dish and before you start assuming it's a restaurant that would scam diners; please refer to the order sheet (to be attached nearing the end of this post) where the pricing was clearly indicated.
You don't pay service charge at Ah Loy Thai as you have to submit your order sheet to the cashier counter and make payment (only in cash) before the kitchen will even prepare your food!
The self service continues as you are also required to take your own plates, bowls, cutlery, serviettes and chillies from the common trolley. Personally, i think we patrons should do our part in view of the manpower shortage in the retail and dining industry and especially so when service charge isn't imposed.
Thai Lemongrass Drink - the cooling drink to have on a hot day although it was a tad too sweet for us. Oh well, i am already satisfied with the fact that there were loads of ice!
Pineapple Fried Rice - moist and utterly delicious; key was the many raisins that added an addictive saccharine bite to the wok-hei infused rice! And it didn't dawn on me that it's a pineapple fried rice until i bit into a piece of pineapple! As a pineapple fried rice, i thought that's quite a failure.
Mango Salad - sour and spicy, i am never a big fan of Thai salad and would rather stay with my conventional butter-head lettuce with tons of Kewpie roasted sesame dressing.
Pad Thai - this was nice although definitely not the best i had in my 37 years of life. Flavour was also on the bland side and i didn't even taste the sourness from the segment of lime that i happily squeezed the life out of.
Tom Yum Seafood - what makes a good tom yum soup? Some will tell you it must be both sourish and spicy; others will say there's more than that. I am a passive eater and my taste buds always prefer a milkier texture. This wasn't as milky and it didn't help that i was nursing a painful ulcer on my upper lip!
Thai Garlic Pork - now, i can taste the porky taste when my teeth sank in to the meat. In usual circumstance, i would have banished it to the end of table but there's something strange this time; the meat had a soft, tenderized touch and it actually tasted pretty good.
Thai Lemon Grass Steamed Fish - as my sister did the ordering, i assumed this was just as it appeared to be; a normal steamed fish in a fish-shaped bowl.
There was more; a pot appeared shortly after to drench the fish with its contents; lemon grass soup! I may not be a food connoisseur; however, wouldn't it be better to steam the fish together with the soup?
Anyway, it felt more like a steamed fish in tom yum and as with any steamed fish, freshness is of utmost importance and this didn't disappoint. I couldn't quite taste the lemongrass unless i took a spoonful of the soup and even then, the lemony taste was hardly noticeable.
Fried Omelette with Minced Pork - I don't remember chewing into any minced pork!!! Nevertheless, this was one oily yet fluffy omelette with crispy edges that i absolutely love! It felt like i was back to pier 21 food court at terminal 21 in Bangkok for my favourite omelette with rice!
Fried Butter Calamari - after so many rounds of butter calamari, this was the best; the squid wasn't rubbery, the batter wasn't excessively thick and you can totally taste the rich buttery sweetness!
Save the sauce and mix it with plain rich for that extra yummy, though sinful, ommph!
Romitt - said to be a traditional Thai style cendol, it was seriously nowhere like our local dessert even though it was sufficiently refreshing; the ice could be finer. Would go for the mango sticky rice the next time i visit!
The concluding end.
=====
Location
9 Tan Quee Lan Street,
#01-04, Singapore 188098
Map
As above. Near Bugis MRT Station (Exit D)
Opening Hours
Mondays to Sundays / PH - 12.00 pm to 3.00 pm
Mondays to Thursdays - 4.15 pm to 8.30 pm (last order)
Fridays to Sundays / PH - 4.15 pm to 9.00 pm (last order)
*PH - Public Holiday
Reservation
Call +65-8488-6528 / +65-9329-7599
Order Sheet
As above.
Pricing
Thai Lemongrass Drink - S$2.80
Pineapple Fried Rice - S$7.90
Mango Salad - S$7.40
Pad Thai - S$7.90
Tom Yum Seafood - S$8.90
Thai Garlic Pork - S$9.40
Thai Lemon Grass Steamed Fish - S$16.50
Fried Omelette with Minced Pork - S$8.50
Fried Butter Calamari - S$9.40
Romitt - S$4.90
(No GST, No Service Charge)
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